Barry

Barry is a boy's name of Irish and Celtic origin meaning “hill, summit and white.” Its exact origin is debated among name scholars. In 2024 it was given to 130 boys in the United States.

Barry at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Irish & Celtic · African
Meaning
“hill, summit and white”
Pronunciation
/ˈbæɹi/
Also spelled
Barrington

About the name Barry

Barry belongs to the Irish & Celtic and African tradition. Its meaning — “hill, summit and white” — is the sense carried by its Irish and Celtic roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Barrington.

In the United States, Barry first appears in Social Security records in 1883. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #61 in 1962, and in 2024 130 babies received the name — 181,155 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Barry in US records

First recorded (US)
1883
Best US rank
#61 in 1962
Peak year
1962
Babies named Barry in 2024
130
Total since 1880
181,155

Barry in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1996
Best rank
#441 in 1996
Babies named Barry in 2025
5
Total since 1996
449

Spellings & short forms

Barrington

Similar names

More names from the Irish & Celtic shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Barry mean?

Barry means “hill, summit and white” in its Irish and Celtic roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Barry a boy or girl name?

Barry is a boy name. In 2024, 130 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Barry?

Barry comes from the Irish & Celtic and African tradition. It is also spelled Barrington.

How popular is the name Barry?

Barry first appears in US records in 1883. Its best-ever ranking was #61 in 1962, and 130 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Barry?

Barry is pronounced /ˈbæɹi/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.